A Portland room rental pilot puts new Oregon SRO rules to the test

"Oregon became one of the few states to pass statewide legislation on SROs, joining Washington and Hawaii. In Congress, Republicans and Democrats have sought to address housing affordability. Allowing single-room occupancy in areas zoned for multifamily is among the land-use policies listed in the Housing for the 21st Century Act that would qualify for federal incentives."

"The math showing the surplus of existing, unused housing in the US is straightforward and obvious, Atticus LeBlanc, shared-housing platform PadSplits founder and CEO, wrote on LinkedIn. Less than 1% of existing housing square footage can yield over 7,000,000 new housing units for American workers, students, and retirees."

"As part of broader housing reform, lawmakers with little fanfare passed a law that gave single-room occupancy housing legal status after years of SROs being deemed zoning and permitting no-nos due to concerns about the safety and health of such lodgings. The new measure requires cities to allow SRO units in many residential areas."

Oregon passed legislation legalizing single-room occupancy (SRO) housing, reversing decades of zoning restrictions that eliminated this historically important housing type. Portland launched a pilot program and cash incentive initiative offering $1,000 grants to homeowners renting spare rooms to low-income tenants, partnering with PadSplit and Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon. Nationally, housing affordability concerns have sparked renewed interest in SRO revival, with Washington and Hawaii also passing statewide SRO legislation. Federal efforts, including the House-passed Housing for the 21st Century Act, offer incentives for jurisdictions allowing SROs in multifamily-zoned areas. Analysis suggests less than 1% of existing unused housing could create over 7 million new units.

Read at www.housingwire.com